Pandemic Diaries - Year 2, February

1 February 2022

January sort of dragged and flew by at the same time.  I know, they seem contradictory - but after the holiday season, it was almost nice to take a break, and have quiet and slow days.  Then that became the routine, as I worked on another crocheting project and finished two watercolor paintings.

One Monday, I heard from a nephew that he was unexpectedly attending a business function in Tucson, and could we meet up on Saturday?  Well of course!  It turns out he was promoted at work, and part of his job is attending this industry meet and greet sort of thing, to talk up their products to potential clients/customers.  His description was that it was sort of like a business speed dating situation, two days of of intense one-on-one meetings, plus lots of networking and schmoozing.

But we had a lovely day with the nephew and his wife, hanging out at their posh resort hotel nestled at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, catching up on everyone's lives and all the changes that have occurred since we last were able to get together.

That was probably the second exciting thing that happened this winter, at least thus far.  The first exciting thing happened in late December, when [trumpets blaring and a drum roll please . . . . building up to a crescendo] I won a trip to Italy!!!!

Yes, I KNOW!!!!  I NEVER win anything!  Well, hardly ever!

The trip is sponsored by La Romita, an art/writing/culinary/photography program based in Italy.  Okay, their offices are in the US, but the school itself is in the town of Terni, in the state of Umbria.  I attended a class there in 2007, and enjoyed my time there.  All of today's photos are from my two weeks at La Romita in August, nearly fifteen years ago.

 

The school is located in an old Capuchin monastery that dates back to 1548!!!  The monks left some time in the 19th century or so, and the Quargnali family purchased the property for a summer home.  In 1966, the first program was held there in conjunction with Rockford College in Illinois.  And a variety of programs continue to this day.

 

The art studio is in the former chapel of the monastery.  We students are housed in the former monks' quarters, though the rooms aren't as spartan as they might have been when the monks lived there.  There are old olive orchards, all kinds of ruins and artifacts, and apparently sheep grazing in the fields beyond the school.  (I don't remember having seen the sheep, though.)

 

The food is amazing, very typical Italian country cuisine, lots of vegs and fruits and things like homemade gnocchi.  Farro salad.  Tuna and cannellini bean salad.  Black truffle bruschetta, which was amazing!  Even birthday cake for dessert if one is so lucky to celebrate while at La Romita!  (Yes, I was!)

Each day the program instructors, the attendees, and the director go to different hill towns and interesting sites to sketch, draw, paint, and explore.  Well, and there's sightseeing and shopping and drinking coffee in the piazzas as well.  Or chatting with a troop of Girl Guides in Italian and English.  After the daily field trips, we usually go back to La Romita for afternoons in the art studio.  Some days, if the excursion is further away, we might spend the entire day there, coming back in the early evening.

It really is like art camp for adults!

So, La Romita held a series of Zoom talks this year, as a way of keeping in contact with former students and instructors.  I've attended a few "aperitivi" and they've all been interesting.  (Yes, that's "aperitif" in Italian.)

As a fund-raiser for La Romita this past year, people were asked to send in a painting.  I painted sunflowers (girasoli), because they're all over Italy as well as all over the US, and they're such happy flowers.  Especially during pandemic times, we need to find happy things wherever we can.

That painting was essentially my entry for the raffle, a trip to the La Romita program of the winner's choice, plus airfare.

And on December 19, at the end of the aperitivi, my name was pulled out of the Santa hat, and I won the grand prize!

I'm still in shock, but thrilled.  Richard and I went back and forth with ideas and dates, I picked out my top six or so programs trying to decide - and oh my, it's so difficult to make a decision when every class sounds better than the next!  

We finally agreed that late September to October made the most sense.  I'll attend two classes there, one as my winning the raffle, the other for which I'll pay.  I mean, if I'm going to be in Umbria, it makes so much more sense to have three weeks to just do art, right?  And with this schedule, we can do our usual doctor visits in Bellingham during the summer, catch up with family and friends there, and then head out on adventures.

No, Richard will not be coming to Italy with me.  The trip is only for one, and he really doesn't want to hang out at an art school.  He's planning his own adventure, and we'll meet up in mid October and go somewhere warm for the winter.

Of course, all of this is Covid-dependent, and things could change.  But this is the vague plan, at this point in time.  (I didn't want to travel until developing nations had a chance to vaccinate their citizens.  I've heard from my adopted son in Liberia, the J&J vaccines are there and he was able to get one.  So I feel much better about travelling now, knowing that yes, the vaccines are getting to people who need them, not just in wealthy countries but throughout the world.)

For anyone who wants to read more about La Romita, and see more photos, here's their website:  https://laromita.org.  (If you really want to join me at La Romita, let's talk, okay?)

And yes, next fall, I hope to be posting blogs from Italia!!!  Ciao ciao, ragazzi!

 

Watercolor and pen, town of Arone 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Watercolor sketch at Lago Bolsena, town of Capodimonte

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paper collage, hill town.  (The arches in the city walls are paper tickets from bakeries!  So much fun!)